Airline launches first flights from Pearson Airport in Mississauga to the Big Apple

Canadian ultra-low fare airline Swoop saw its first-ever Mississauga-to-New York City flight take off this week from  Pearson Airport.

The Calgary-based carrier is now operating service four times a week from Pearson to JFK Airport and the Big Apple.

Swoop officials say the inaugural New York City flight left Pearson on Monday morning, arriving about an hour later at JFK, at 10:15 a.m.

Swoop, which ran its first-ever flight four years ago yesterday (June 20), has also launched service two times a week to Deer Lake, Nfld. as it continues to expand its list of destinations.

Since 2018, Swoop has served some four million passengers, connecting them to 33 destinations in five countries. The carrier has operated more than 28,000 flights the past four years.

And company officials say it’s only the beginning, as Swoop continues to grow.

“Swoop has expanded rapidly this year to meet the unprecedented demand for air travel that Canadians have missed out on for two long years,” said Swoop president Bob Cummings in a news release. “We are so thrilled to celebrate our fourth birthday across our newly expanded network with travellers and airport partners, and with a special celebration in America’s largest metropolis, New York City.”

Earlier this year, Swoop announced a “significant U.S. expansion” to new destinations that will see it add non-stop flights this summer to New York, Chicago, Nashville, San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

In addition to the new vacation spots, Swoop will also extend its current seasonal services to Las Vegas, San Diego, Palm Springs, Orlando, Clearwater and Phoenix.

In total, Swoop will fly to 11 U.S. destinations from Pearson, Hamilton and Edmonton airports.

“As part of our planned growth in 2022, we’re excited to be adding five new popular U.S. destinations to our network,” Bert van der Stege, Swoop’s head of commercial and finance, said earlier this year. “As Canada’s leading ultra-low-cost carrier, we are growing our fleet, expanding our network and adding service to existing destinations to ensure we are ready to meet Canadians’ pent-up demand for travel experiences south of the border.”

Swoop will also fly from Hamilton International Airport to Las Vegas twice a week, starting June 23, as well as Orlando.

Beyond its U.S. destinations, Swoop is also starting up service to 10 new Canadian destinations this year, most of them on the East Coast.

Last December, Swoop Airlines began flying out of Pearson to Kingston, Jamaica twice a week. Its other Caribbean destination is Montego Bay, Jamaica.